Chicago's hottest concepts to scout

It’s been a busy 12 months for the Chicago restaurant scene since last year’s National Restaurant Association Show, from international fast-casual cuisines to pop-up venues to a bounty of creative brewpub concepts.

In this guide of restaurant concepts to scout while in town for the show, we’ve rounded up some spots to check out for inspiration and ideas to take back home to your operation.

Duck Duck Goat

857 W. Fulton Market
duckduckgoatchicago.com

Currently the toughest reservation in town, Stephanie Izard has taken the goat theme from her famed (and still hard to get into) Girl & The Goat restaurant and given it a Chinese spin, complete with hand-pulled noodles and housemade dumplings. While reservations are tough to come by, Izard plans to add a takeout window serving street food in the near future. 

Oyster Bah

1962 N. Halsted St.
oysterbah.com

Lettuce Entertain You is proving that East Coast-quality seafood can be done in the Midwest, as long as the relationships are there. While Chicago may not be near the ocean, the company has formed partnerships with U.S. and Canadian oyster growers to serve eight to 12 cold-water oyster varieties daily.

Smack Shack

326 N. Morgan St.
smack-shack.com

Operators have been clamoring to get into Chicago’s West Loop as it keeps getting built up, both with residents and businesses—including Google. Enter the Twin Cities lobster roll specialist, who partnered with local Four Corners Tavern Group to set up a counter-service shop for its lobster rolls and andouille po’ boys (originally a food truck) in the Google building; a contrast to the fancy steakhouse that also calls the space home.

Latinicity

108 N. State St.
latinicity.com

The “Eataly” of Latin street food, this food hall from chef Richard Sandoval is cranking out massive volumes from its 12 stalls, plus full restaurant and bar, in a 22,000-square-foot space in a downtown multiuse building. While it’s getting plenty of foot traffic on its own, it’s in the same building as an upgraded dine-in movie theatre, too, with many cinema-goers stopping in for a margarita and meal before and after shows.

Chicago Athletic Association Hotel

12 S. Michigan Ave.
chicagoathletichotel.com

The swanky yet vintage hotel comes with multiple dining options, catering to the different ways people want to eat. It’s got Chicago’s second Shake Shack burger chain location; The Game Room, a wide-open space with pool tables, foosball and a large bar; Cindy’s, a fancier rooftop spot for trend-seekers who want a view of the city; and Cherry Circle Room, with a supper club vibe.

Packed

1321 E. 57th St.
packeddumplings.com

Chicago’s Mike Sheerin is another high-end chef going the casual route with his fast-casual dumpling shop in Hyde Park. While it plays to the predicted dumpling trend, the menu strays from traditional Asian flavors with fillings such as French onion soup, pastrami and king crab.

Cruz Blanca Cerveceria

900 W. Randolph Street
rickbayless.com

Frontera’s Rick Bayless launched a flagship beer last May; now, the industry vet is promising a brewpub—complete with a 10-barrel brewing system, tasting room and growler program (with an open date before the NRA Show as of this printing).

Pastoral (Andersonville)

5212 N. Clark St.
pastoralartisan.com

The fourth location of Chicago’s popular wine and cheese shop is its biggest yet at 3,800 square feet. While one has had a sandwich counter before, this location will include a full restaurant and wine bar inside, showing how retail is encroaching on restaurant business. 

3 Greens Market

354 W. Hubbard St.
3greensmarket.com

Local wunderkind Brendan Sodikoff has been busy with hybrids this year. His latest brings together the food that made him famous, including Au Cheval’s burgers. A large salad bar, coffee drinks and cocktails round out this casual restaurant and coffee shop blended with a grab-and-go market.

Ampersand Wine Bar

4845 N. Damen Ave.
ampersandchicago.com

Small plates still can be profitable in small spaces. With only 24 seats, plus 16 at the bar, alums of late Chicago legends Charlie Trotter and Homaro Cantu teamed up to serve shareables, funky desserts and wines at a price point more appealing than most downtown small-plate spots.

Snaggletooth

2819 N. Southport Ave.
snaggletoothchicago.com

If you’re not grabbing breakfast on the show floor, head here to see how a restaurant can get away with charging $8 for an open-face bagel sandwich to go. The trick: cured fishes and a schmear bar for customization.

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken

847 W. Fulton Market
gusfriedchicken.com

The famed counter-service Memphis chain known for breading laced with cayenne pepper has made its way to Chicago’s popular Fulton Market district. The one change for Chicago: It’ll serve booze.

Boeufhaus

1012 N. Western Ave.

A change of pace from the extravagant Chicago steakhouses, this spot recently added an outdoor patio as well as a butcher and deli counter. Offerings include dry-aged steaks and house-cured pastrami that mimic the restaurant menu—a way for diners to try out Boeufhaus food on a smaller budget.

Forbidden Root

1746 W. Chicago Ave.
forbiddenroot.com

Located in a former theater in Chicago’s up-and-coming West Town neighborhood, the brewpub has been lauded for its 12 rotating taps of herbal, botanical beer. In fact, every Tuesday night (so the last day of the NRA Show), it dedicates three hours to a launch of a new beer, elixir or beer-tail. But it’s actually the elevated take on bar food that’s gaining the attention of both the local media and hipsters alike, using on-trend ingredients such as gochujang as well as revamping local favorites such as a fried giardiniera as a small plate. And soon enough, it’ll open a “rootmaster” lab for craft-beer forums.

The Northman

4337 N. Lincoln Ave.

Can a single-booze theme work? Chicago’s long-awaited first hard-cider bar opened this winter with more than 100 ciders, as well as a menu that sticks to the theme with bistro dishes such as cider-braised onion soup and escargot with cider butter.

A version of this story appears in the May issue of Restaurant Business magazine, FoodService Director’s sister publication.